Fascinating in a Scary Sort of Way

I have to admit that when I am outside, I can't stop looking up at the fire.  It grew so quickly on Monday, it was frightening.  The winds have been crazy, which makes this a very dangerous fired.  Here are some of the photos I took yesterday.

As frightening as that looks, our home is not really in danger and I don't expect it will be.  However, I know a lot of people who's property is being threatened.  Yesterday at work I witnessed nurses and surgeons alike, doing their jobs with compassion, all the while wondering if their own property was being burned.  It takes a real professional to be able to set aside their personal concerns while doing their job.  I was impressed. 

Fire on the Mountain

Well, I've no more neighborhood fires to report but last evening, standing out on my deck, I was looking at this cloud.  I had kind of a dirty look.  That wouldn't be strange on a stormy day but yesterday was a clear day.

I moved to get a different view and then I knew; there's fire on the mountain!

I went for a little drive and took this photo.

We had a fire on our mountain a few years ago.  It was close enough to drop ashes in our yard and we could see the flames from our home.  This one is further away and the wind is not likely to bring it anywhere near us.  There are homes and cabins up there, though. 

Once again, I am so grateful to those who fight fire!  The slurry bombers were already at work.  The helicopter was making drops as well.  Again, just so grateful.

Confession and Forgiveness

Following is part of the most humbling yet meaningful parts of our church service.

Confession and Forgiveness

Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, 

all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: 

cleanse the thoughts of our hearts 

by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, 

that we may perfectly love you and 

worthily magnify your holy name, through 

Jesus Christ our Lord....

Most merciful God,

We confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves.  We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, 

by what we have done and 

by what we have left undone.  

We have not loved you with our whole heart; 

we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.  

For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us.  Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, 

so that we may delight in your will 

and walk in your ways, 

to the glory of your holy name.  Amen.

 In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was 

given to die for us, and for his sake 

God forgives us all our sins.  

Now We Can Relax

Since he was a little guy I've noticed how well Sam reads people.  Sam is an observer of people and he figures them out, sometimes before they've figured themselves out.

Since the first of the 7 mysterious fires on our block, Sam has been telling me he had a feeling who was doing it.  His guess was an adolescent child who lives nearby.  I am sorry to say he was right again.  I wasn't surprised when I heard the news but I felt quite sad about it.

But, I am happy to say we feel we can relax a bit now.  Bode is showing us how to do that.

Aaaaah...

  One of my favorite things is to see

Mike with one or both of our granddaughters.

Elise is already quite comfortable with 

him, but she likely doesn't yet

realize he will be 

one of her 

very

favorite

people!

Get ready for good time fun, baby girl!

Again? And Again? And Again...?

I was home from work by mid--afternoon yesterday (one of the perks of leaving for work when others are still dreaming) and was just sitting down to pay some bills when I heard it again, the far-off sound  of sirens.  As they got closer I started getting nervous.  Sure enough.  They stopped two doors down from us.

Remember the fire in the front yard of our next-door-neighbors' home last week?  Well, apparently there was a fire in the backyard of the people on the other side of them.  I thought that made this the third yard fire on our block recently but a neighbor girl came out and told me it was the 7th!  All the fires were within 2 houses of our home!

I didn't go too close to take a photo for you all as I didn't want to be the creepy neighbor.  However, when one of our local news anchors arrived and actually interviewed the fire captain, Sam and I went close enough to listen  He confirmed there had been multiple fires and they were under investigation.  Yikes!

 So far the fires have all been small and quickly extinguished so it just seems kind of mysterious at this point.  Don't worry, though. We are on alert now and we are aware of the danger.  Now we have to assume these are arson fires and we aren't taking that lightly.  In fact, I think maybe I'd better go water the lawn a bit... and maybe the garage... and perhaps the deck... and maybe the whole house!

The Fine Art of Stubbornness

You may remember our friend, Allen.  He had a life-changing year I think about 9 years ago.  His life was turned upside down while he slept for 39 days!  When all was said and done he had a new heart and two artificial legs.  You can read his story in his own words here.

On Monday we received a phone call letting us know that Allen was in the emergency department after having experienced an accident at his home.  He'd expected to be enjoying a barbeque with his family but instead was in pain and waiting for a  surgeon.   When we went to be with him we knew he was really hurting, but he still managed to joke around with us.  Amazing.

Allen's accident occurred because he is a stubborn man, and I am saying that lovingly!  He was trying to do some things that he probably should've asked others to do.  That's Allen, though.  I expect that most who meet him don't realize he has someone else's heart and artificial legs.  That's because he doesn't let anything slow him down!  That same stubbornness that got him wounded this week is likely one of the qualities that has sustained him for the last 9 years.

Allen is a faithful reader of my blog so I'm using today's post as my get well card to him.  Allen, heal quickly and use that stubborn streak to surprise us all once again at your resiliency!

G E T   W E L L !

Why Does Jesus Love Us?

One of my favorite things to do on a day off is to hang out with my beautiful daughter and her beautiful daughters.  We like to search for treasures at a thrift store, buy froo-froo coffees, and just cross some errands off our lists.  Often we meet Mike and Sam at the mall for lunch to top off our morning.

The mundane becomes FUN when together.

I especially love Cordelia's input.  She's such a smart little person and she freely shares her interesting opinions and insights!  She also asks many, MANY questions!

Awhile back I rode along with Maria and her little girls while Maria did a few errands.  When Maria went into one store, Cordelia and I were singing in the vehicle to entertain ourselves.  Elise chose not to join in but I think she was appreciative of our music.  We were singing "Jesus Loves Me" when Cordy stopped me to ask, "Why does Jesus love us?"  I think I said something awesome like, "I don't know, but he does."  Yes, when put on the spot, I came up a bit short with my theological explanations.  Hey!  Don't criticize me!  I'm an RN, Mike is the theologian!

Although Cordy quickly moved on (she's not yet three you know), I kind of pondered that question for awhile.  It's actually a very good question.  Why does he love us?  We're really such a mess most of the time.  We're selfish.  We hurt each other.  We lose sight of what is most important.  Yet, we're much loved in spite of all that.

So, how would you have answered Cordelia?

Our Peaceful Floating Picnic

Are any of you doing anything fun this holiday week-end?  Did you go out of town or have week-end guests?

We've been pretty low-key ourselves but we did get to go floating on the river again.  I packed lunch for us and we had a floating picnic!  Yes, it is a little awkward to eat lunch in an inner tube, but so worth it!  We did have to use the oars more and work pretty hard at times because it was gusty.  Mostly, though, we just relaxed while watching the peaceful scenery go by.  The best part?  Three hours of having Mike all to myself!

A Word From Pastor Mike: "For You - Forever"

I asked my pastor husband, Mike, if I could occasionally share one of his sermons on my blog.  I brought it up enough times, he finally supplied me with some of his notes.  The following is from his sermon notes from two weeks ago.  It will be helpful to know that it is based on John 6:51-58 so I will insert that passage.  Oh, and I probably should warn you that he slips his quirky sense of humor into his sermons...

     ***************************************************************************

John 6:51-58 (NRSV)

John 6:51-58

⁵¹I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” ⁵²The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” ⁵³So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; ⁵⁵for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. ⁵⁷Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. ⁵⁸This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

     *********************************************************************************************

Now, from Mike's notes...

For You - Forever

This past week we were in Minnesota.  We toured the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis.  It was the former home of Gold Medal Flour.  Across the Mississippi River you could see the Pillsbury Flour Factory.

(note from Sue:  Remember, I forewarned you about Mike's sense of humor! The underlines words indicate parts he delivered with a bit of a distinct emphasis.)

While I was there I came across this obituary:  Veteran Pillsbury Spokesman, Pop-N-Fresh, died yesterday of a yeast infection.  Dozens of celebrities turned out for the funeral.  Among those seen were Aunt Jemima, the California Raisins, Hungry Jack, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Skippy Peanut Butter.

Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy.  She said her friend "never realized how much he was kneaded."  (another note from Sue:  It's ok to groan.  I did.)  The church was piled high with flours (not a typo) from many friends.

Pop-N-Fresh rose quickly in show business but in his later life he had many turnovers.  He was not a very smart cookie as he wasted much of his dough on half-baked schemes.  Unfortunately many of his so called friends buttered him up for these failures.

Even though Pop-N-Fresh was a crusty old man, he was a roll model for millions.  Fresh is survived by his wife and two children  plus they have a bun in the oven.  The service was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

(pause to regroup before the serious stuff)

Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven."  In this reading Jesus seems to be all over the place.  Is he...

a) talking about communion?  "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life...abide in me and I in them" sure sounds like communion.

b) talking about the incarnation - God taking on flesh?  "I am the living bread that came down from heaven" sure sounds like that's true also.

c)  talking about his death for us?  "The bread that I give for the life of the world is my flesh."  That sure sounds like the cross to me.

This is the great thing about the Bible.  You can go into it as simply or as deeply as you want.  There is bread.  There is food for everyone.

What I was fascinated about in the text were the promises of eternal life.  

     (a) "Whoever eats this bread will live forever."  

     (b) "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life and I will raise them up on the
            last day."                  

     (c) "Whoever eats me will live because of me."
     (d) "The one who eats this bread will live forever."

These are promises for you about forever, about eternal life.  But what is eternal life?  When does it begin?  What does it look like?

Eternal Life

Sometimes it is helpful to describe something by saying what it is not...

A former professor of mine, Jim Nestingen, was in the newly formed country in South Sudan.  He told a story of what eternal life is not and what it is.  He told of a 10 year old girl.  Her older brother sold her to an older man who had lost his wife.  The brother needed money so he could be married.  Without getting too descriptive, we can safely say that this was not eternal life for a 10 year old girl.  As soon as she was old enough, she started having children.  Then, the old man died.  This meant that she would go up for sale as part of his estate.  She was bought by a church!  They redeemed her!  They set her free!  Eternal life started for her and she is now the pastor of the very congregation that set her free.  Jim Nestingen said there was so much joy on her lips that you couldn't help but get caught up in the dance of it!

It's interesting that in our gospel text today Jesus announces that he is the living bread come down from heaven and that whoever eats of this bread will live.  The response...grumbling.  How can this man do this?  Sometimes we make the Christian Faith too complicated or we get distracted.  Jesus puts it this way, the one who believes has eternal life.  What must we do to be saved?  Believe in the one who the Father sent.

This last week I got to listen to African Lutherans tell their story.  I got to see a Sudanese man be commissioned to go back to his country, where there is barely a government, few hospitals, school or churches and yet the church grows - and I wondered why.

And I think the reason is they have completely sold themselves out to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the love of God.

They aren't really concerned about the American dream, getting their kids to soccer games, or water skiing competitions.  Maybe extreme poverty keeps people dependent on God and thankful, even glad, for the few things they do have.

The good news is that God isn't really concerned about boundaries.  It isn't a Christian competition between continents - God loves sinners wherever they may be.

The Father sent the Son to be the Living Bread for all people - the one who feeds on this living bread has eternal life.  We feed on Jesus in daily prayer, weekly worship and reading the Bible daily.

When you come to communion you hear the words, "Body of Christ given for you" and "Blood of Christ shed for you."  It is a promise - for you - it's the living Christ within you.  It is eternal life for you.  Begin selling yourself out completely to God and enter the joy of eternal life.

Grandma, I saw a Ghost!

Cordelia, like most children, gets to occasionally watch cartoons.  I expect that is how she heard of ghosts.   Wherever she heard of ghosts, she  became a bit fascinated with the idea of them.   When a person is two-almost-three years old, fantasy and reality really blur together often so it isn't surprising that Cordelia is sometimes pretty sure there are ghosts around.

One Sunday, after church service, we were all standing around in our church while we visited with each other.  Cordelia was pretty wound up and was dancing and running around, having a happy time.  All of a sudden she ran up to me and declared, "Grandma, I saw a Ghost!"  THIS time I was quite pleased with myself for my prompt response.  I told her maybe it was the Holy Ghost!

After thinking about it awhile, Cordy asked me what she should say to the Holy Ghost if she saw him again.  I told her she should say, "Hi!"  OK, that may have been weird but I assured her the Holy Ghost is kind and good and watched out for her.  She then asked me what she should call him.  I suggested, "Holy".  That wasn't very creative I guess.

We don't talk about the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit is my preference) much.  We are told that the Holy Spirit is given to us as our helper while we are still here on Earth.  I wonder why we don't remember to seek help and comfort more often from the Holy Spirit.  Do you think of the Holy Spirit much?

Drama in the Neighborhood

Last night we had a little excitement in the neighborhood.  Mike was in at the church but Sam and I were home.  First, I thought I heard some hollering outside but saw nothing.  I muted the television but all was quiet.  The next thing Sam and I heard were far-off sirens.  Right then I had a strong feeling that those sirens were headed our way.  I was right!  The sirens stopped right next door.

It turns out that our neighbors had a small fire in their front yard.  They weren't home and we do not yet know why there was a fire.  It was really just a matter of  feet from our cars and our house. A row of dry trees line up between our house and their's.  It is great for privacy but certainly would have made powerful fuel.   Have I mentioned that Wyoming is in a drought?  It has been really, really dry around here.

The fire did not amount to much I guess.  It was out before I saw it.  The reason is this, a passing motorist took the time to care.  He or she saw it and called out for help (explaining the hollering I thought I heard).  The neighbor on the other side helped put out the fire before it became a big deal.  

I'm so very grateful to people who see a problem and do what they can to help.   I know there are people who would have just driven by, expecting someone else to handle the problem.   I don't know the name of the person alerting to the fire, but we are very appreciative.  I'm happy to be reporting just minor drama, nothing more.

I also want to give a shout out to all emergency services folks.  They walk into a lot of unknown situations on our behalf.  I am pretty sure we don't thank them enough.  If any of my readers are among our protectors, know that we are grateful!

Pretending to Be My Age

When I was younger I knew, of course, that there were people of all different ages.  What I didn't understand, though, was that a lot of those people didn't really feel like they belonged in the age category to which they found themselves assigned.

Am I making sense?

Well, here's the thing.  I know in my head that I am now in the middle-aged category.  To be honest, I've been in that category for awhile now.  How did that happen?  You see, I still think of myself as a young mother.  I feel I should be about 32 or so.  I feel like I kind of got mentally or emotionally stuck there.  I feel comfortable there.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not really complaining about being in my 50's.  It's just that I feel like I'm only pretending to be in my 50's, like I'm wearing a costume or something, but inside I'm still 32.  It feels kind of weird to know that people I meet don't realize that.

This happened to me when I was 14 as well.  Someone asked me how old I was and I blurted out that I was 12.  I was horrified at my mistake.  What 14 year old wants to be 12?  Well, I think I liked being 12.  I felt comfortable being 12 for several years.

I was thinking about all this and remembered something I read a long time ago.  I read that inside every person is that person from every age they'd ever been.  That is, even a middle-aged person still has inside of them the memory of who they were at a younger age and really, they are that person still.  It's kind of true, don't you think?

Next time I look at an elderly person I'm going to be wondering if deep down they feel like an imposter.  Maybe they feel like they are 25 and just pretending to be old since they are stuck wearing an old costume.  Something to think about, right?

Mike and Me in Our Early 30's

A Father and a Daughter

I was looking through some of the photos I 

took from the recent gathering of relatives.  

I loved these photos of our 

brother-in-law, Joe, enjoying some 

father-daughter time with our niece, Erin.  

 What do you think they were discussing?
I really did't hear but, knowing Joe,
I'm guessing he was telling a corny joke.
Maybe he was giving her insightful advice?
It doesn't matter.
It was just sweet to see them enjoying
each other's company.

 Like I said, I just love these photos.

The Party Ends

Well, I guess all good things must come to an end.  Yesterday the last of our guests left town.  The house is really quiet!

Before we took Mike's Mom to the airport  Mike and I were commenting on how proud we are of her.  It took some gumption to fly here on her own!  There's no direct flight, of course, from her town in Montana to our's in Wyoming, so she flew through Denver. She bravely faced the layovers, the crowds, luggage, flight changes, etc. to be here with her family.

Carol also calmly accepted the change of motel after the first one had a hostage/drug/suicide incident.  She smiled and complimented all our meals, experiencing a lot of new vegan foods.  She spent a LOT of time playing with an almost-3-yr-old, which required a lot of energy.  She rocked and patted a baby even when fussy.  She made everyone feel special and loved.

We're so glad she did all this as it would not have been the same without her.  I hated sending her off alone again.  It made me sad to see her disappear through the security area but she looked satisfied and confident.  Thanks for coming, Carol!

A Party for Elise

Saturday evening the family gathering continued at our house.  You'll be surprised (not) to know that I took a lot of photos!  Lucky for you all, many of them were blurry or otherwise flawed.

Elise and Maria
(I love this photo!)

Our son, Sam, and our son-in-law, Eric

Elise with her great uncle, Joe

Great Aunt Sue had her turn as well.

A lot of visiting, game-playing and eating took place.

Sunday was Elise's baptism.  Wearing a family gown that is 117 years old, Elise looked beautiful.  To read more about that gown, please click here.  Our daughter, Maria, already wrote up a nice post about it.  The gown was made by Elise's great-great-great grandmother!

It was fun to have so much family together at a church service.

Cordy

Me with Elise

Karen, Mike, Carol, Sue

(Mike with his mother and sisters)

Elise and her parents

After church we enjoyed a lovely meal at Maria and Eric's home.

Erin (our niece) with Maria

My handsome husband, Mike

Cordy giving Grandma Carol a Hug

 Elise 

  Our son-in-law, Eric, visiting with our brother-in-law, Gregg, and Mike's sister, Karen.

Some of the family had to leave yesterday afternoon 

but the rest of us gathered at our home last night.

Grandma Carol with Elise

Yes, we do know how absolutely blessed we are to have so much family supporting and loving us!

I Have Called You By Name

  “Do not be afraid, for I have 

ransomed you.

      I have called you by name; you 

are mine." 

Isiah 43:1